AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 93 



Summary. 



1. An important requisite to successful tomato culture is 

 that the plants be kept growing vigorously ; a condition 

 involving rich soil and. frequent tillage. 



2. Frequent transplanting makes stocky plants. 



3. Plants are not checked as much as is commonly sup- 

 posed, by the cool nights of early spring. 



4. Other things being equal, the earliness and productive- 

 ness of tomatoes is in direct proportion to the earliness of 

 setting in the field. 



5. Trimming the plants after a part of the fruit had set, 

 increased the yield by more than one-third. 



6. The best varieties for general use appear to be Ignotum, 

 Perfection, Beauty, Golden Queen, and possibly Prelude for 

 home use. 



7. Of the new varieties, Long Keeper and Stone are most 

 promising. 



III. Notes of Egg Plants. 



As already noted, we are making the egg plant a subject of 

 special study. A full report in regard to this work is reserved 

 till a later date, however. 



Egg plants delight in a warm, moist climate, rich but light soil, 

 and constant cultivation. While they reach the highest state of 

 perfection in warmer climates, and near the coast, by careful 

 treatment they may be grown over a large extent of country. 

 In this climate they should be started as early as the first of 

 April, in a hot bed or forcing-house, and should be kept growing 

 vigorously till about the middle of June, when they may be 

 removed to 'the open field. They should be placed in rows about 

 three feet apart to permit the use of a horse in cultivating. 



Frequent and thorough cultivation is a prime requisite to suc- 

 cess. We make a practice of going through the plantation at 

 least once a week with a Planet Jr. cultivator, and make free 

 use of the hoe as well. 



Of the varieties commonly catalogued, Early Long Purple and 

 Early Dwarf Purple will doubtless prove most satisfactory in 

 this climate. The larger and later sorts will hardly begin to 

 develop fruit before the early frosts. There is reason to believe, 

 however, that valuable results may be obtained by crossing these 



